This paper addresses the issue of the subnational distribution of immigrants. In particular the following question is discussed: what factors, in general, account for the regional attractiveness to immigrants to settle in a particular region, and, more specifically, what are the most important factors influencing the spatial pattern of immigration in a selected number of European countries? In addition, the spatial pattern of destinations of immigration, as well as of foreign populations is discussed. Within this framework, attention is focused on the relationship between stocks of foreigners and immigration flows. The study was motivated by the need to improve assumptions on the regional distribution of immigration to be implemented in subnational population projections. The overall conclusion is that assumptions on the spatial distribution of immigration flows could be improved by using the spatial distribution of stocks of foreign population as predictor.